Invisible Doctors by Chandra

Can Economics doctorates put injection to people who fall in ill? To answer this question there was interesting experience in my life. One was happened in my college days and another one was happened when I was graduated and went to see village people.

Let’s look into the first one.

Way back in 2002, we were in the final year of B. A. Economics in Gurunanak College, (Madras University), one of my friend Philips Alexander first time saw our Head of Department’s (HOD) name board outside his room he was so sock! It was written like this Dr.G.Ananthapadmanabhan. Then he told us “you know our HOD is Doctor, I saw in the name board I think he can put injection also I did knew that!”

Some of my friends were enjoying such a funny joke mamus? In fact it was quite amazing to see how one could be. It was not his fault at all. The kind of teachers taught like that. It was also true that part of school education also mattered.

The second one was as I said happened in my village, interestingly twice the same person.

When I went to my village after I got my B A Economic degree in June 2002. As my parents did not know not heard what is all about the degree. They only knew and often telling other that the one who get degree become “Collector officer” in India it is IAS babaus!

Then, some my neighbors who asked me what are you going to do further? I am going to do masters in economics I said.

Further, they asked then, I said I am going to do M. Phil and then Doctorate then finally they told me that so “you can also open a clinic in our home town, Gingee after you become doctorate!

The B A graduated that is too in economics and the so called illiterate thinking are same with minor change in situation where they live.

For a moment I was unable to realize what they said. It was not their fault again, they can still write only their name! But all of them were born after the India’s political Independence and the Nehru’s Socialist dogmatic policies which actually killed millions of people including my neighbor’s life that has terribly gone without seeing the India as well as the world map!

Why I am writing this piece it is very simple. I was reading an article on “Doctor? That don’t impress me much” by Rajrishi Singhal, Columns in The Economic Times.

Interestingly as I have naturally experience it was not a surprise after reading this line 

“A passenger once fainted on the deck of a Mediterranean liner (this is long before the modern version of cruise holidays). The officer on duty immediately shouted: “Is there a doctor on board?” Instantly, four people rushed ahead, but on seeing the patient, shook their heads and wished to be excused. They were doctors all right, but none of them had the requisite medical education”. 

The rest of the story I fully agree with him. In fact among the present so called Indian economists, I have some more list of persons who was awarded doctorates!

In the same final year one of our teacher told us the 'Economic Political and Weekly' is not available in Chennai that was altogether different story!

But the sad one is that still many of the Indian universities economics department teachers don't understand the EPW dogmatic view in economic policy!